YES! Recommends: Dream of a Nation

Dream of a Nation explores today's challenges with new ideas and solutions through the perspective of on-the-ground thought leaders. It generously offers educators a range of free, downloadable resources, including lesson plans, interviews, videos, and discussion guides.

A Powerful Free Resource for Teachers and Professors

Dream of a Nation reaches across political party lines and religious beliefs and focuses on what we have in common, what is possible.It is comprised of a book and an initiative, with special focus on providing educators with hands-on, standards based, spot on lesson modules. Essays, video clips, and guides are designed to flip the switch from toe-dipper to full-on, change-the-world citizens.

The book’s 12 chapters explores contemporary problems, new ideas, and successful models. Its stellar collection of essays and illustrations are authored by more than 60 individuals and organizations, such as YES! Magazine, Veterans for Peace, and Green for All.

Dream of a Nation is proud to create and offer an array of free, downloadable materials for educators, including:

The book’s 12 chapters explores contemporary problems, new ideas, and successful models. Over 60 individuals and organizations, including YES! Magazine, Veterans for Peace, and Green for All, authored this stellar collection of essays and illustrations.

Four lesson modules with 18 lesson plans take your students from becoming issue experts to being active in their communities. In addition, robust questions for each chapter of the book are offered. Your students will debate, connect problems with solutions, discover opposing points of view, and hatch their own plans to take action on the issues they care about. No sitting on the sidelines, here!

For each of the 12 overarching issues (chapters), at least four related issues are identified and explored. Essays authored by partner organizations about their efforts to address the challenge help connect your student with the real world. “What If?” and “What Can I Do?” questions deepen understanding and inspire students to action. Explore solutions here.

Dream of a Nation isn’t a textbook. It focuses on real-world examples and content to support goals and standards that students are required to master, and teachers are required to teach.

The book and all curriculum materials align with Common Core Standards, National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards, as well as standards requirements as described by state education agencies. Visit standards alignment here

To access the portals, you will need to register with Dream of a Nation. Sign-up is free, and please be assured that your email will not be shared.

Please note that YES! Magazine does its best to provide educators with easily accessible teaching tools. Email login or sign-up is becoming more common practice. We will recommend that you register only when we believe the materials are worth your time and effort.

Dream of a Nation is a people-centered initiative of SEE Innovation (Social, Environmental, Economic), and is focused on big dreams, bold innovations, and realizing our full potential as a nation. The book and bigger project are dedicated to elevating awareness and inspiring action around a range of critical social, environmental, and economic issues. A documentary film version of the book, a national contest, and expansion into other countries are in future plans.